HANG TIME HEADQUARTERS – If you’re Rudy Gay, Kyle Lowry, Paul Millsap, Monta Ellis, Josh Smith or any of the other NBA players who woke up this morning without an All-Star bid, you deserve an explanation.

You deserve to know why what you’ve done wasn’t good enough to earn one of those reserve spots, and you deserve that answer now. Since Naismith hung that first peach basket coaches have been preaching about sacrifice for the greater good being the most crucial element to a successful team and players surrendering themselves to the process being the path to hoops righteousness.

Then the All-Star reserves come out and you see that these same coaches employ wicked double standard based on who a player is as opposed to what they have done. Now before you assume that this is some assault on the 14 players that were honored last night, understand that it is not. They deserve to bask in the All-Star limelight in Orlando just like anyone else.

This is strictly about the hypocrisy of coaches who demand one thing from players and then turn around and reward something totally different when it’s time to fill out those ballots for the reserves. They are the ones charged with making the right decisions on the reserves, not the other players or the fans or anyone else. It’s supposed to be a reward for this season, right now, and not the past or the future.

There is a reason Dirk Nowitzki said before the reserves were announced that he didn’t think he deserved a bid this year. Paul Pierce admitted he was surprised he made it because he’s been on the other side of this double standard in the past, piling up numbers on a struggling team and then watching the All-Star festivities from a beachfront resort.

For years, putting up numbers on a bad or even mediocre team was not enough to secure an All-Star nod. I’ve heard coaches say it for years in the NBA when touting their own players or the virtues of others, “you have to reward winning.” So when Steve Nash or Deron Williams find their way onto the list and Ellis does not, the head scratching begins.

Smith’s agents were left doing that head-scratching routine for the third straight year last night when the announcements came and the Hawks’ forward was left out in the cold yet again, despite having one of the strongest cases for inclusion. His case is the perfect example of the folly this double standard enforces.

“Coaches need to get their personal feelings out of the process,” said Wallace Prather, one of Smith’s agents. “I’m always the positive one, always the one looking for the silver lining in things. But there is no silver lining this time. This is [expletive]. This is [expletive]. It’s a clear double standard for whatever reason.”

Smith has a reputation for being tough to coach and having attitude issues, dating back to his well-publicized dust ups with former Hawks coach Mike Woodson, now an assistant on Mike D’Antoni‘s staff in New York. Smith is also a lighting rod among his hometown fan base for his emotional demeanor and penchant for playing on the edge (you should hear the collective sigh from fans in Philips Arena every time he shoots from beyond the 3-point line).

But he was leading the Hawks before Al Hoford went down for the season with a torn pectoral muscle and, along with Joe Johnson, (who received his sixth All-Star nod last night) has kept them among the Eastern Conference elite since then. Even his most ardent critics have come around this season, recognizing the maturation in his game and that he’s been the Hawks’ catalyst this season.

Josh smith. Call 911.You got robbed. No mask no gloves- its fingerprints- all over the place call first 48-no call Atlanta CSI- Call the FBI

“What can you say?” said Brian Dyke, also one of Smith’s agents. “It’s just difficult to watch. We’re taking about a dude that doesn’t chase stats. He just wants to win. Instead of going with your preconceived notions of this man, focus on how hard he works on his game and the things he does on and off the court. This is a hard-working player who busts his [expletive] on his game and they see fit to smack him in his face every year. You say he’s got bad attitude, but he shouldn’t be upset with this? Everybody talks about what he doesn’t do, but why don’t they start talking about what he does, and then show me somebody that does it better on both ends at that [power forward] four position.”

Trail Blazers guard Jamal Crawford played two seasons with the Hawks and took to Twitter to voice a similar opinion, congratulating his current power forward LaMarcus Aldridge on getting his bid (a year later than he should have) before breaking down Smith’s predicament:

On the other side of things, don’t know what else Josh Smith can do to be an all star smh …

You could say the same things about Ellis.

Even with his scoring and shooting numbers down slightly from last season, Ellis is not considered worthy by coaches because he’s doing his work on a 9-14 team?

The Suns are just 11-15 with Nash running the show (and yes, everyone knows he’s leading the league in assists and shooting an outlandish .571 from the floor). The Nets are just 8-19 with Williams at the helm.

Bottom line, they are all putting up numbers on losing teams.

But in a basketball world where the coach’s double standard rules the day, what may be one man’s All-Star is another’s man’s … maybe not!

299 Comments

it doesnt make sense that deron williams, steve nash and melo (all on losing teams) make the all star team, but monta ellis does not…what does the guy have to do to get recognized? scored 50 a game? i mean the guy’s doin the best he can with a terrible team. 2nd straight year he’s been snubbed. ellis instead of nash for me. same with Josh smith…i mean atl doesnt deserve 2 all stars so its either johnson or smith, i’d go with j smith this year. right now with dirk though, he’s been playing at an all-star level in the last week or so, so if he keeps i up till the game, i dont have a problem with him being picked, although lowry and al jefferson have been great and if they were picked, it would be tough to argue against their selection. but really its between parker and lowry, and either one would be justified as a pick. as for rudy gay, memphis doesnt deserve 2 all stars and i would take gasol instead of rudy, and instead of pau gasol, so im ok with that pick.

Since the voting power is already given to coaches, I don’t think fans should criticise the results too much. It’s their vote, not ours. You wanna vote? Be a coach first.
A little bit off the topic: The voting system for fans is flawed. It only gives you the option to support some players to be all stars, not giving you the option to dissaprove. Thus when you think some player don’t deserve, you can do nothing. There could be such a situation that although 100K people support some player, 200K people don’t think he deserve. But in this flawed system, only that 100K fans speak.
So instead, fans should vote on every named candidate, giving a ‘should be’, or ‘could be’, or ‘should not be’ comment. Default is ‘could be’. I think this would be fairer.

Smith deserved more than any of the east forwards, and Rando instead of Williams
R.Gay instead of Dirk, and i feel sorry for Ellis, if he would be taller and able to play the 3 but there are too many pg that fill the sg position

80% of the people who posted comments are complete IDIOTS!!!!! to b an All-Star you should have good numbers play both sides of the floor b one of the best at you position in your respective conference and play on a winning team which eliminates dirk n d-will. Dirk is last years finals MVP i repeat LAST YEAR!!! numbers r down n kevin love aldridge n blake have better numbers. d-wil’s plays for a lottery team i would take rondo lou williams or darren collision becuz its common sense josh smith could take the spot 2 .melo hopefully stays hurt cuz he doesnt deserve 2 go 2 orlando.monte still has good numbers on a bad team kyle lowry is on a playoff team avg 14ppg 6reb 8ast n 2stl he should have dirks spot (18ppg 6reb 2ast )

hi there, i really dont get the idea why is it such a big deal if a player is starter or a reserve. it doesnt make sense! this is a team game! so if for example, i dont start dirk in regular season games and i put him as a reserve and i put lamar odom on the starting line up, is right to say that lamar is better than dirk? i really dont think so..! so whether you are a starter or a reserve, you all play big part of the team! so stop arguing who gets to start and comes us as a reserve! just enjoy the games folks!

Firstly, Sekou I think you are mad for putting this up and saying players got robbed – but you have got a lot of comments so I get starting a controversial topics works. I am seeing some outrageous claims on this post! How some people believe that Kobe, D-Wade and Nash shouldn’t make it is beyond me…Do you watch the NBA week in week out?

I think this year the coaches got it right: The guys who are instrumental to their teams winning (YES WINNING COUNTS A LOT TO ALL STAR VOTES!) got selected. Ok I get some players may have been close calls – I personally think Monta Ellis is the only real guy that got robbed >> Top 14 scoring leaders all got in apart from Elllis – suspect! He deserves to be in over Marc Gasol for me!

I wrote about this subject last week -(link below) I hope some of you read and see where I am coming from – always welcome comments back:

The all stars are selected by what they did the second half of the past season and the first half of the current season. So i think dirk deserves to be an all star .( By the way nobody mentioned wade who has played almost half of the games this year and he is not as good in the games he played and he has become an all star starter!!!)

it is said that all star players are selected based on the current season. In fact they are chosen by what they do between the end of one all star game until the next selection. The half of the season after the all star game counts and so do the playoffs. That’s how it works. I don’t think that there has ever been an all star game without last year’s finals mvp. Or without last year’s mvp. Or scoring leader. Or best defensive player. This should be a fun fact to research.

Ok 2 sum up an 2 comment 4 my own:
Starters are more or less deserved … even Melo cause the numbers he put up were quite impressive, even though they lost a few.
Josh Smith Clearly got robbed … <– as Webber said … but he is not better than Bosh. Bosh accepted the 5 @ the beginning of the season if i remember correctly, so U could put him there (in 5) in the all star game, 2, like some1 suggested.
Gay … i followed the stats on every game the last 3 seasons and in my eyes he isn´t consistent enough. Some games he explodes for 30 and some U can´t even see him – single digit … might even B the reason they lost sometimes cause mostly low scoring nights are 2 – 9 shooting … some'n like this.
The Love an Griffin discussion about who should start … well … first of all its about a winning team. And then i think its a kind of *on the floor pressure* the player gives. If someone is an enforcer, for example like kenyon martin, and is effecting the people only by being on the floor it adds to the all star vote i guess. Love is a rebounding machine, but the defense has 2 keep blake in eyesight or he won´t only rebound but burn everyone who sleeps whit athleticism.
Millsap and Lowry are quite good, but right now the league has some really good point guards (i think the best in history) and millsap is comparable to aldridge last season, who doesn't get a vote there – not because he wasn´t good enough but because there were better PF. by the way i think millsap and *big al* are complementing each other. would B interesting 2 C in stats Cube … didn´t look yet …
Ellis is, as already mentioned, 2 weak on D. He is good at steals but like Deandre (who should rebound more and block less) he should try 2 stay in front of his guy. (I think ellis would be a killer 6th man 4 offense but no starting star of a team – but thats just my opinion …)
Nash: look at the Pheonix record … and then look at the pheonix roster … (i would prefer bobcats roster in fantasy if i could take nash with that tea,) … every win u could give 2 nash
U could argue about Pierce … but hes the best player right now in boston … boston has 14 – 12 record right now … they havn´t had a good start and a lot of players were injured … 4 that the record is quite impressive.
Dirk said himself that he doesn´t think he´ll make it. Kinda hard 2 argue bout that … he was in horrible shape when the season started … scored low and got screwed by rubio (top plays ladder) … but last couple of weeks were some good games. Hes arguebly the best player on the dallas team, and his teams record is better than the lakers or the jazz

paul peirce does deserve it hes the reaseon why boston has a plus 500 record, josh smith deserved it over loul deng, and andre deserved it cuz of what the sixers are doing. and monta and rudy should be in for russel westbrook and marc gasol, people may argue for russel but i think monta > greater the russel and rudy gay is the main reason why memphis is such a threat now even without zebo

Didn’t hear one of you American journaists complain about Tim Duncan making the All Star Team in recent years just because of his reputation. How come everyone makes such a big deal about the current FINALS MVP being selected? That’s what I call a double standard!

notice its called the all STAR game not the all average player having a great first half of the season game fans watch because they want to see stars matched up against stars sorry to monte and joe but they just are not there yet

There are lots of other guys that deserve allstar nods, but you only have a certain number of spots. There’s also some that didn’t deserve to be allstars. I don’t count the starters because these are the players the fans want to see. Whether their team is winning or not, the fans want to see them play and the fans are the ones that make these guys famous.
This is the reason they have coaches pick the reserves. To me, the reserves are the ones who have really been playing in allstar form, helping their team get winning records. Some of the starters can play but not necessarily make their team better.

There´s no reason to blame the coaches for their choices: Even the fans voted Dirk on 4th place among Forwards in the west. Now coaches are blamed for selecting him over Rudy Gay, who was nominated in 10th place by the same fans… Same for Pierce: He got 100.000 more votes from the fans over Josh Smith.
There’s clearly a double standard, but even more hypocrisy from the fans…

The double standard should exist in a season where all-star voting is based off six weeks of playing. Dirk gets in because the coaches are smart enough to know the circumstances and that he’s obviously better than Paul Millsap. Ditto Nash, who has actually had a good season for a team completely talentless outside of him and Gortat.

Fan voting is great because the game is for the fans, and because they actually do a pretty good job. Blake and Melo are the only questionable starter picks, and both would have made the team as reserves anyway.

Guys like Aldridge and Marc should make it, but with such a small sample size, it only makes sense to give established players you know will be playing in May the nod in a pinch over your Kyle Lowry’s and Monta Ellis’s.

‘which are the consisted MOSTLY of idiots”. . . . Please read your post before submission… Don’t complain about fan votes, because it’s only fans with the time to repeatedly vote online, you don’t have to know anything about anything for that. Don’t complain about coach votes because they probably know things about every player that we never will, and they certainly see the writing on the wall for the future of the young talent that got “snubbed”– future perennial all-star weekend participants (like Pierce, Nash, and Nowitzki)

@ prix: Go to Memphis and ask how good Gasol is on his own; they will reply, “which one, the prima donna or Mark?” Kobe Bryant took Gasol and inspired competitive play out of the formerly lazy Spaniard.

noting new here, yao ming made the all- star and he was hurt did not play at all that year and still was selected forgot wat year was it. Most fans dont know basketball, they should not decide who starts in the All star game, most of the time they vote for players that are popular over proven players.

The biggest snub is no other than Kyle Lowry (Houston Rockets) with a higher standing than fan-favorite, Los Angeles Lakers. Yes, Monta Ellis scored better but Golden States standing is way below the Houston Rockets. Its imperative that teams are winning despite having ridiculous production because we all know Monta Ellis can score in bunches.
All star games are voted by some absurd diehard fans who like famous teams instead of production. This predicament should be chosen by the NBA according to production, winning, and impact on the game because fans will always choose teams that are known to them like for example Los Angeles Lakers who have insurmountable and biased fan bases.

Don’t forget that the All-Star game is for the fans, the fans voted for Dirk to be included in the all star game. He’s way ahead in votes compare to Millsap, Al Jefferson, Monta Ellis, Rudy Gay etc.. Why deny the fans who would they want to see?

This ain’t a surprise. Biases in selections has been there since time memorial. Just like last season when Yao Ming was picked as an all-star while HE WAS INJURED. That is actually a plain bad one because the best pure center in the league that time was Nene. I wasn’t mad at Kevin Love being the last selection, but picking Yao in the first place was just a microcosm of what All-Star selection is.

Okey, ppl what is the All-star selection… really. We all know that the voting of Yao in recent years has been ridiculus.
But voting in Dirk is not. An all-star selection should be based on players playing good, giving it all and win. And the selection should be based on how the player has played since the last All-star game, not since the season started, and not since his career started.
Many journalists write that Lamarcus Aldride got robbed last year, what does that matter for this years selection, actually nothing. If he would avrage 5 pts and 2 rebounds a game that whole period since the last all-star game, nobody would pick him becouse he got robbed last year.
Getting back to Dirk and his selection, he is the reigning finals MVP, i would not mind if he was a starter instead of Griffin.
And as everyone is writing, the selections should look otherwise.
D.Williams has been loosing games and not been on a good team since the days back in Utah, he should not be in this year, if you don’t get to show off your skills in the playoffs you should stand to lose out on the all star game for one year.
Pirce should go to. Put in Rhondo and Smith. The west is worse than the east, scrach nash for a nugget, and all that.
And ohh… Hibbert should not be an all-star, it should be Tyson Chandler!

Lol let me say this for everyone who acts like they know nything bout ball! Yea ray allen is one of the best 3 point shooters EVER! But kobe has the records for most in one game! Allen is un consistant during games! Kobe has his games and as a player who is as old as he is KOBE) he still puts 30 pts up during game, is more athletcic than most of players in nba and also has the best foot work and ball control in the league! my opinion at the end of his carrer he will be better than jordan! he has more set records than Jordan does:) thts a fact!, go look it up! but odom who has not yet to be selected to an allstar game should get the chance! Before he played with the mavs he was better than most players in the league, ODOM go back to the LAKERS PLEASE!!!!!

Unnecessary? DIRK? Took time off to get into shape just like Pierce and is averaging over 18 pts a game in his shortened season. WAKE UP fellow, he led his team to the WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP just last year. Oh, by the way-they still are reigning champions until all is said and done by springtime.

Pierce deserves to be in because he is a legend. He is what keeps this Boston team going. And behind Lebron, he is the best small forward in the game right now and a top 5 small forward to ever play the game.

The All-Star is a garbage game with no defence and fake offence, how anyone could care is beyond me. It’s a circus, not one of its plays means a thing. Why get excited about it, why worry about who is selected? If you like basketball then watch the NBA this season and you’ll get some great play. This season has been very good, lots of games, tough, teams working hard, some new talents and surprises. The young teams running and holding up well. But the All-Star, it’s the worst part of the NBA and only proves how much half-fans go for the posterboys, voted in over and over, or that China does indeed have a lot of people who know how to vote online.
But yeah, I see the real hardcore fans go for all that “this guys is better than that” stuff, and cite stats of all things. The best stat: your team is winning and you are part of it. The next best stat: your team is winning and you are a big part of that.

I love coaches, they are great. This lineup is just awesome. Thanks God, they saved us from watching Ryan Anderson, Al Jefferson, Argentinian Ginobili, Turkish Turkoglu, Italian Gallinari, Rajon Rondo, Amar’e Stoudemire, Kevin Garnett like non skilled players. But I am very sad there is not a Chinese or Indian Player in All-Star, as they have the “largest skills” in the world…

Some fans vote for their favourite players or big namers regardless of the season they’ve had so far. Coaches may be doing the same. They seem to want to get the league’s biggest stars together to draw the audiences rather than in some cases voting in lesser known players who have had excellent seasons and may be more deserving. It’s a shame star power seems to count too much!!

No doubt Dirk being an All Star. Even with is injury he leads a winning team in points and he is still the leader of the NBA Champion. Just because he is not playing so spectacular than others doesn’t mean he shouldn’t be an All Star. It is not all about dunks and Twitter in that league.

Why should only the last couple of games count? Let’s be honest, this season so far doesy not really represent what the players are able to do! I think you should count what a player has delivered since the last All – Star Game. The most important games are in may and june, and what dirk did that time, everybody knows. So just because paul millsap plays a solid couple of games dirk all of a sudden should not be an all star? I think, if u really are an all star, you will become one eventually, like lamarcus aldridge, he played great for a while now, and deserved to be selected. if millsap keeps it up, he’ll be at the game some time, too, but just becaus you play good 25 games you are not more deserving than the nba finals mvp to be an all star.
and btw, why should anyone from golden state be an all star? are they all of a sudden a contender? many guys could put up numbers like monta ellis, if winning didn’t count for their franchise… just my 2 cents!

What everyone needs to understand: The All Star Game is all about creating publicity. No one really knows what the criteria are for becoming an All Star. And that is exactly what the NBA wants! So every year we have the same futile discussions about who’s deserving and who isn’t and we all become part of the NBA PR machine. We should all spend that energy on discussing things that actually matter.

well said…”i don’t know what else josh smith can do to be an all star” seriously dude…at least ellis not makin it is justified that he is on a bad team but like u said nash a d will r in so how the hell can josh smith be left out? wow…kevin love and blake griffin were on terrible teams last yr and they picked them ahead of LA and Z-Bo and ellis was avg a whole lot of ppg…it seems like players get robbed every yr, somethin needs 2 change…

West:
Ellis-nash and westbrook over him any day
Gasol and millsap-love and aldridge playing a lot better
Rudy Gay- no more space left cause dirk is dirk
East:
Josh Smith- Got ROOOOOOOBBBBBBBBBEEEEEEEEDDDDDDDDDDDD
Pierce-don’t deserve it
Granger-no more space
Hibbert-overrated but no more decent centers so he pot it
joe johnson-josh smith over him but hes making more money so
Stoudamire-Who’s that

I really want to know why you and so many other people in this article say Pierce didn’t deserve an All Star spot. Please, enlighten us with your logic on that statement. Is it because you don’t personally like Pierce? Is it because his stats are not as high as other SF’s in the East? Is it because of his age? (He’s 4 years younger than Nash, btw). Seriously I want to hear your reasoning.

I’ll give you mine: Pierce single-handedly brought the Celtics back from the brink of an absolute awful season, without Rajon Rondo, while trying to recover from a heel injury. He’s 34 – certainly no Durant or LeBron or Griffin – and still made the shots and the plays to ensure his team got back on track with a winning record. He played PG nearly the entire time Rondo was out! His versatility and leadership are unquestioned. You may not like his style, or his personality, but you can’t deny what he brings to his team every night and this season is proof he’s not done. In my mind he’s a lifetime All Star player.

As a huge Josh Smith fan I’m kind of disappointed by not having my favorite player among the All-Stars. This season, he’s on a winning team without Al Horford, playing the best of all east power forwards (Stoudemire? Bosh?) and still not going to Orlando? And he’s been playing on this level for last 3 years…I don’t understand how the fans can vote two SF as the starters but to me the starting lineup should be PG D-rose SG D-Wade SF LeBron PF J-Smoove C Dwight Howard. And seriously, why are there 4 SF (including DENG who sat out half of the season) and just one PF?

How can you say that J-Smooth is better then Bosh. Bosh is the best PF in the east. 19.5 and 8 on a team where he is the 3rd option behind LEBRON and WADE two of the top 5 players in the WORLD???? comapred to 16 and 9 where Smith is the 1st or 2nd option. NO WAY. You also have to look at this, Bosh when he is the 2nd option was averaging 26 and 9. So what do ya have to say about that, not to mention that Bosh has a better FG% at 51% compared to smith at 47% with Bosh on top with his FT% at 82% and Josh at 55%. Smith is by far a much better 1 on 1 deffender, but bosh is far better this season with his team defence.
Top five Power forwards in the East
1) Bosh
2) Smith
3) Staudimire
4)Andrea Barniani
5) Garnett

How come writer can say that coach’es selection is a joke.? Those who have short memory and being complaining about dirk, please go and watch the Minnesota game today including this nonsense writer. Post your comments after that.

according to this article, Blake Griffin didn’t deserve to be an all star last year, any good player on a losing team shouldn’t be an all star, i don’t agree at all that Nash is undeserving to be an all-star, look at the players surrounding him? they are winning more game then they should, he give the suns a chance to win every night. for a 38 year old hes playing on a much higher level then most point guard in the nba.

“THE ALL-STAR DOUBLE STANDARD STINKS”…such a hipocracy! All of these years, have anyone thought that Yao Ming deserved to be THE starter?! Do YOU seriously think that the All-Star vote is based on achievements and not sympathy?

I think J.Harden, Monta Ellis and Ricky Rubio should be reserves. But i also think the media wants that people watch the nba all star game! Who wants to see a boring game? So the nba chose more exciting players to secure that people will watch the all star game! See for example Blake Griffin. He deserves to be a starter? Kevin Love is more a complete player and probably plays better, but everyone want to see one of Griffin’s dunk!!! This is why he’s a starter! and this is the same for Dirk,Nash or Iguodala. The media decide which player we want to see……even if we don’t know it!

i hope my english is not too bad! excuse me for my english i’m not american!! (=

>>So when Steve Nash or Deron Williams find their way onto the list and Ellis does not, the head scratching begins.<<

I'm scratching my head alright, but it's at the above statement.

Ellis is on a team below Nash's in the standings, and to compare their stats would be laughable. Nash is putting up some of the sickest stats the league has even seen, while Ellis is an amazing player but has seen his FG% drop and his 3PT% is abysmal. Even as a Golden State fan, if Ellis was chosen over Nash I wouldn't have even felt right about it. There's just no contest there.

Williams is an interesting observation, but he's in a different conference. If you think Ellis is scratching his head over that, I guess you're talking in general terms …

Just a really poorly researched article. You really had a point with Nowitski this year, but to even mention Ellis just kind of cancels it out.

I also fully understand DWills choice – cmon, whats the alternative at guard in the east? Jennings´ team for example is only slightly better than the Nets and his support cast is considerably better. I would say, almost all the games the Nets won they won because of DWill. His stat line is impressive and he´s definitly not playing for the numbers but for the team. It is just impossible to lead the current Nets to a winning record, can´t blame him for injuries and stuff. DWill is doing everything he can, probably without him his team would be 1-24 or so. So I think his selection is consistent with the coaches choice to reward unselfishness. I´d always choose him over a player like Danny Granger who´s shooting horrible percentages many nights and is in the All-Star-talk only because his team is winning.

As much as i love deron williams and dirk i agree they dont deserve to be all stars, however the Steve Nash case is kind of different. I remember a few weeks ago someone on NBA.com was writing about how steve nash has to be an all star because in a few year he’ll be out of this league and his numbers are all star worthy. Contradiction once again by nba…why am i not surprised? either way i think Nash’s pick was legit. he’s been the foundation of the suns without him they just cant pull of a W. with their current roster they are doing pretty good i say.

He’s not as flashy as LeBron or Carmelo, plain and simple. Most NBA fans want to see crazy dunks and fast breaks and blocks and are obsessed with the biggest stars… i.e., LeBron, Dwayne Wade, Carmelo, etc. The starters got probably double or triple the votes from the fans as the reserves did. It’s just about popularity. The general public just eats up celebrity players. While Paul PIerce is certainly a celebrity in Boston and to the Celtics franchise, the spotlight is firmly planted on the younger, dynamic players now.

Quit whining, everyone. The coaches´ choice were great. C´mon, seriously, an All-Star-Game without ONE player of the actual champs (because no one except Dirk would have even been CLOSE to be selected) and the unarguably best player of last season´s playoffs? And don´t tell me, only this season counts. this season is a joke, how many games have you seen of each team when you voted, 15? And many of the people that cry now must have rooted for Melo in the starting lineup, I´ve heard it that he led his team to an impressive record so far…

The all star game. I bet my [explicite] Yao Ming would have made it a starter if he was still
on the injured and not the retired list. Going from there, it’s nothing wrong with any fan based
choice. We want to see show, we vote show (we vote Griffin). Coaches should vote to honor
outstanding but maybe less spectacular play to balance it and make it something more than
a pure show event. They might be wrong at some points but:

To all who say Nowitzki does not earn it.

How did you get to this opinion?

First of all, there is only one all star game a year. Even if its in the current season
the rest of the remainder of the previous year should count as well. And seeing the
5 month of basketball since the 2011 all star reserves were announced plus the 1.5
month of basketball of this crippled season, why would he not be worthy of being there?

The finals MVP of the previous season must be a deadlock. If he has both his legs
broken he might be replaced but he should be voted in before that. Otherwise the
all star game is just completely meaningless.(even more than it actually is)

so lets upgrade the all star game for next year
each team will have 24 players, 1 for each team plus some more just in case star team up again (LJ/DW/CB)
tha game need 2 be longer in order to give some play time 2 all the players
8 quarters of 12 min each shld be enough but we can discuss it

and btw
during allstargame
nobody is intrested in defense so pls send the wrong gasol back home and take the right one if u need a gasol in there

and pls be reasonable
varejao dsnt deserve 2 be an allstar, solid player but unwatchable with the ball in his hands

opz forgot 1 thing
Bargiani u play in a canadian team so until u change 4 a better country you have no chances
(and remember that you are injured…)

Melo is one of the not many real stars out there he deserve to be in
he’s not able to play a team game so he will never get a ring but is fun to watch so….
have fun in orlando

24 players is too much how about 15? that would be enough for everyone talking about gay ellis lowry dirk and nash.

I agree with a longer game but 96 minutes of basketball is boring. what about 14 minutes of 4 quarters?

Anderson needs to be in the all star game, he is 4th in rebound and is a top 5 center in defense. No kidding, all centers are unwatchable with the ball in their hand, that’s why they are a center and not a point gaurd

Bargnani isnt derseving of an allstar spot but come say that to my face in Canada and see what happens.

I think Kyle Lowry got robed as well….and I don´t know exactly who but also one player of the nuggets! Ißm from Germany and can say this: Dirk didn´t deserve it. It´s like Barkley says it all the time this shouldn´t be a lifetime achievement award. I´m glad that TIm Duncan is finally NOT an All-Star…was a joke that he was in there last year and LaMarcus & Love was not! Even if they managed to get Love in there for injured Yao…. I just feel sorry for guys like lowry, the nuggets players.., josh smith and so on… I know that the coaches will never satisfy everyone because every year there will be guys left out but in this season…dirk, nash, pierce and also joe johnson…i just don´t get this picks

And again how in the world can denver and houston have such a great record and have no guy in orlando -.-

Nash is putting up numbers (which are indisputably better than Ellis’) and the Suns have 2 MORE wins than the Warriors (while having LESS talent), but Ellis is more deserving of the All-Star game? Awful logic there.

Some of the complaints I’ve read about the all-star selections seem pretty petty to me. What leaps out to me as the far greater crime is that the western conference all-star reserves include 3 point guards, 4 big men, no shooting guards, and no small forwards. Couldn’t they have just introduced an alley-oop contest if they were hellbent on constructing a team with 4 point guards, 6 big men, and only 2 wing players?

I agree with having Nash as a reserve, the guy has been playig at the exact same level (pretty high by the way) for years now, you cant select himm one year and not select him the next one if he keeps playing that great.

For all those saying “Monte Ellis should be playing in place for Nash”, you have got to be brain dead. I’m not saying Ellis isn’t a good player, but you want to compare records and players then Nash runs away with it. THe warriors record is worse than Nash’s suns, AND Ellis has 2 very good players in david lee and stephen curry (although he is atrocious on defense). Who does Nash have? Gortat? sure he’s a decent player, but not better than lee or curry together. My point is that The warriors SHOULD NOT be losing if they have 3 great players, and for the simple fact that they continue to lose is why Ellis is NOT AN ALLSTAR!!!

sekou you’re a noob, there aren’t enough spots to give it to all the good players in the NBA. Of Monta Ellis, Deron Williams, and Steve Nash, steve and dwill are playing better than ellis simply put. and nash is on a better team (barely, I know.)

You have to take into consideration that this is an All-star game.. Over the years this event brings out electrifying plays and entertainment as well as collecting millions of viewers world wide. The NBA should have considered putting the younger players in the game to represent what the NBA would be in the future. Monta Ellis, Josh Smith, Lowry to name a few. Nash is putting up great numbers but who wants to see a 38 yr old do layups on a fast break…. Come on.

Guys like Monta Ellis would have been perfect for this.. You watch his game at the Rookie vs Sophmore highlights and tell me he doesn’t deserve to perform at a spectacle like this!! Yes he’s performing on a losing team but it’s not like that team is going to play at the All star game lol. He’s a highlight machine and i’m sure fans would pay to watch him play. It’s a shame that Monta would probably never make an All-star game during his prime.

Instead of Marc Gasol is should have been Rudy Gay. Instead of Joe Johnson is should have been Josh Smith. Instead of Dirk Nowvitski is should have been Kyle Lowry. Instead of Deron Williams it should of been Rajon Rondo. If these were the picks then this article would not exist.

com’on people….you have your own favorites…this coaches as well….the thing about it is that they know basketball more than you do……if you want to see these guys play in your own all star game…..thats possible…..do it with your PS’s and Xboxes……..

I think the fairest way to deal with all this is to follow the way NHL select its All-Stars. Fans vote for all the players, and 26 players with the highest votes gets into the game. Then do the fantasy draft. That way the coaches will not make any controversial choices.

everyone seems to forget about the guy who is 5th in the league in points (23.5 ppg) and 6.4 rebounds. Andrea Bargnani is amazing! people just hating cuz hes on a bad team but he totally deserves to be an all star!

I just don’t see the fuss about the All Star Game.Are they really so hungry for acknowledgment?I think they should be after rings,not a stupid All-Star nod.It’s ridiculous,really.You’re not an All-Star=you’re not good,or…What?Why is it so important to get into a stupid exhibition game.I think people should just leave it alone and let the playoffs show who the better players are.

I don’t get why the writers are whining so much about the selections. It’s the All STAR game. Not the All-best-guy-on-the-team-with-a-good-record game. Did you consider the possibility that there just might be stars on teams with little to no other good players? Fans want to see cool plays and you’re not going to get that with players who aren’t stand alone stars. If you think that Stephen Curry deserves the All Star bid over Steve Nash, then you need to lay off the PCP, Sekou. Steve Nash is obviously the better point guard. If Steve Nash had David Lee and Monta Ellis on his team the Suns would be in the playoffs. So give the man the credit he deserves. He didn’t even make the All Star team last year even though he deserved it then too. The only things I would change is to swap out Carmelo Anthony for Josh Smith and that’s about it. Deron Williams deserves his spot (keeping New Jersey afloat somehow without Brook Lopez or Marshon Brooks), Paul Pierce deserves his spot (shouldn’t even be debated), Dirk Nowitzki is iffy but who would you pick over him? Paul Millsap maybe.. But that would be contradictory to your own complaint that players on winning teams deserve it more. Stop writing these.. You don’t know what you’re talking about.

I’m ok with DWill, only because he was snubbed for 2 or 3 years when he truly deserved it. Nash, dirk and Peirce just show that the coaches are no different from the fans (Melo’s Selection), this is just a popularity contest

I’ve even tweeted that coaches should NOT be allowed to vote! If then fans get to vote then the top 3 players should go to the All-Stars and then the players should vote who the coaches should be. Then in return those 2 coaches should pick who they want to start. All awesome players got snubbed! Any player with more than 20ppg average should go to the All Stars! Even the fans have a double standard, not just the coaches. And there should be no rookie/soph players on the All-Star big game, they have their own game! Shouldn’t be allowed to play both! My opinion. I am boycotting the All-Stars this year! If this game/weekend is for the fans then something needs to change NOW!

Are we really debating whether Nash and D. Williams deserve to be there? Of course they do, they are exciting to watch and that’s what the All-Star Game has ALWAYS been about. I just can’t believe noone has mentioned why the f**k Carmello Anthony was voted a starter?!?! He shouldn’t even be on the team, period! Who wants to watch this guy put up 30 shots in the All-Star game? He’s averaging 22ppg and taking 29 shots per game to get that…shooting 39% from the floor and 29% from 3-point range. Those sound like solid All-Star numbers to me! Oh yeah, and he’s on one of the most dissapointing teams in the league.

You want to know who should have been in the all-star game? Anderson Varejao. The man is second in the NBA in rebounding and him along with Kyrie Irving are the sole reason the Cavaliers are even a factor in this league

Well, it’s not all about ultra-conservative big name clinging. Look, there’s no Duncan, Garnett, Allen or Amare in there this time around. On the other hand Aldridge and Iguodala are finally in. As are Deng and Hibbert, so you can’t say they are not letting fresh blood in It figures the changing of the guard will progress one step at a time, but it’s going in the right direction.
Most likely this year is the last time for Nash, Pierce and Dirk, so next year guys like Josh Smith, Monta, Gay and Lowry will finally get their chance. Patience people.

Do you really think that Monta Ellis is a better player than Deron Williams or Steve Nash just because of his numbers on a team where he touches the ball more and the entire offense is revolved around him because no one else on his team can score. He is a prolific scorer no doubt and I really like Ellis, but I think that putting NBA all star teams together is a lot more than just stats…because if it was just stats nobody would have to pick the teams; the numbers would.

What’s the definition of an “All-Star” anyways? It’s a shortened lockout year with bad numbers all around, lots of players are playing well below their skill level. Who cares? The All-Star game doesn’t mean much in my opinion during a regular season and it means even less in this shortened one. Let’s just keep the guys healthy so we can see the best basketball when it counts and that is from April to June.
p.s. The skills competition, 3 point shootout, that 3 person shooting thing with a chick from the WNBA & retired player and dunk contest are way more interesting than the actual game.

It’s the same every year. There are always All-Star caliber players left off. It’s not that the players selected aren’t deserving; of course they are. People are going to complain about Dirk? Please! He’s on a winning team. He’s their leading scorer and best player. He is averaging more than Pau and Millsap. And, he just happens to be one of the best players in the world and the reigning finals mvp. To NOT have a player from the defending champs would have been the biggest snub.

Bottom line, there are only 12 spots per league. There will always be snubs. I think the NBA should seriously consider expanding to 13 or 14 players per league for the All-Star game. Has there EVER been a year where fans and media weren’t complaining about snubs? It’s not like baseball or football where every team is usually represented. That’s why people get so up in arms. There are more than 24 great players in the game. The NBA should reward them.

Pau Gasol, not consistent? what is consistent to you?
14 FGA/game, 16pg, 10rpg, 3apg
Kobe Bryant
24 FGA/game, 29pg,6rpg,5apg
they both doing great and consistent, if pau can get more shots, he can get more points.
and now that bynum is healthy, lakers were giving him more plays than pau.

I don’t see anyone saying a thing about Greg Monroe. He’s quietly averaging 16.4 PPG, 10 RPG, 2.5 APG, .523 FG%, and .817 FT% for a poor Pistons team. Maybe he shouldn’t be considered a snub yet, maybe he isn’t on the same level as Chandler or Hibbert…. but I thought at the very least there’d be some talk of him.

I think he’s better already than Chandler all round, let’s be real, Chandler is a defensive machine but tha’s all, like DeAndre. Monroe is an old school centar, a real talent, something that’s really missing in league all this years. Next year he’ll probably be an all-star, and he just plays 30min per game and has 16 and 10 stats… But playing in one of the worst teams in league didn’t help him, and that’s why he isn’t an all star this year, and Roy Hibbert is…

This is just ridiculous, the nba must have SCOUTS make the selcetions, not the coaches, not the players (they will choose themselves and they don’t have time to look at anybody else but themselves) and worst of all the FANS should not be allowed to vote. It is ridiculous people chose blake over love for starter, love is a double double machine, a good 3 point shooter and leading the T-wolves back, but because he plays in minnesotta and blake in LA they chose blake because of the media and highlights. Lamarcus aldridge is rightfully in there, but steve should not be there, Kyle Lowry should have made it and Rudy gay as well.

In the east J SMOOVE SHOULD HAVE MADE IT OVER PP. This year’s all star game selection has been horrible BIG TIME

i have never liked the fact that fans vote for the all-star starters and i agree that sometimes players get in on reputation rather than thier performance. rudy gay, monta ellis and josh smith derserve to be all-stats and could have easily been so. but even players like dirk who may not be playing the way we are used to seeing him play is still having a solid season and playing for a winning team. im not saying someone else may have not deserved it more, just simply saying it doesnt necessarily mean his selection was a bad one. and players like nash and d will who are performing at a very high levels, should they be punished for not having better talent around them. again not saying that someone else couldn’t have easily been chosen instead. i believe josh smith should have been a definate all-star but im just simply saying these selections are going to always be tough no matter what

atrocious all-star reserves. shouldn’t picked based on reputation. this is the 11-12 all stars, so it should be based on who plays the best basketball in the league. not on “what if this player wasn’t on this team” type garbage. same goes with MVP selection. once the criteria changed, the name of the award should’ve changed as well. nba basketball is starting to become more of a joke than anything.

Without Nash, the Suns would be ATROCIOUS… as in one of the worst 3-5 teams in the league. He is the only reason they are respectable… not only is he hyper-efficient with his own shot, but he creates so many good scoring chances for others… so he deserves to be an All-Star.

On the other hand, a guy like Monta Ellis may score a lot of points (and make many flashy plays during the game), but he doesn’t really help his team win because he misses so many shots. If his shots went to S Curry, D Lee, and D Wright, they would have better stats and get looks that are almost as good (iow, Monta Ellis shoots a lower % so his heavy scoring doesn’t help much).

cos its not right! If thats the case, Kobe is shooting a avg percentage every frikking year and he is mostly the number one guard picked! Superstars cant score high percentages because they have the opponents best defender on them every Single night!

Kobe shoots low percentages because his team is just not very good. Bynum is pretty much the only other good player. No one can rely on Pau Gasol because he is just so inconsistent. Ellis has Lee, Curry, Wright, and Robinson on his team. Those guys can easily average 20 ppg and 15 ppg for Robinson.

its against the rules to be only 6’3 185 lbs, play shooting guard, and to be a one man highlight reel… plus you play in golden state.. all of this factors into too many dunks, spin layups, alley oops and fast break points… this in fact is not what fans wants to see in an all star game, well at least not from you- Mr. Monta Ellis..

Actually fans do vote. before All-Stars we get to make our own ballet. which helps the coaches decide. we have like a 25% say so. I dont understand why DeWayne Wade is even in the All Star starting roster. Im not a hater but he was hurt most of the season. why didnt Rajon Rondo get to be an Allstar? Because he was hurt most of the season. it really isnt far. Ray Allen and KG were putting up better numbers than Pierce.
KG is better than Bosh any day. I love that Lamarcus Aldridge got his first All star. He deserved it last season too. and without Monte Ellis i bet GS wouldnt even win a game.

I can agree with Josh Smith and Rudy Gay, but not others. First, all squads looks very solid; the only problem is the Melo selection by the fans, and Joe Johnson should be replaced by his teammate Josh Smith. Ellis is on a not-so-good team where he jacks up shots and put numbers on the stat sheet. Look at the % field goal, how can you vote for a guy who is just averaging just above .400 FG%. Kyle Lowry is very inconsistent, and to me he can’t be favored over Steve Nash or Tony Parker who are so valuable for their respective teams. Millsap and Pau were just unlucky because The depth at Power forward position in the West (Love, LA, Nowitzki) is too much for them to be selected as all stars. Reps for older player like Pierce, Nowitzki, Parker certainly got the benefit of doubt, but to say they are undeserving as an allstar would be complete nonsense. The young guys just haven’t taken a step to distinguish themselves from the competition period.

A losing team that has nearly won as many games so far this season as they did last season, and is only 2 games below .500. T-Wolves record is a buy-in into the playoffs in the east, but they are in the Wild West, so their record looks worse in comparison. Not saying Rubio should have been an all-star, but for different reasons.

Everybody’s talking about pierce and nowitzki and nash. Yes i agree smith should been an allstar instead of pierce but what about the real winning teams that were totally forgotten. Rockets have Lowry playing allstar worthy basketball, nuggets, although they have hit a rough patch, are winning and should have by the normal standards had at least 1 allstar (Nene Lawson or Gallinari). Millsap and Gay also are playing allstar worthy. Sad to say this but the coaches did awful selections this year. But im glad that Aldridge and Iguodala made the team. Love watching both those guys play.

So maybe Nicolas Batum should be an all-star too, according to that logic, because he hit 9 3s against Denver, the most by any player in a game this season. Nic is my favorite player, but he’s not an all-star. He just had a spectacular game. Great for Jeremy that he all of a sudden came out of nowhere to give the Knicks a boost, but he’s not an all-star. By the time he really got going, the reserves had already been chosen, so it would’ve been like choosing any player from the bottom of a roster. Again, congrats to Lin, but he’s gonna have to keep this up for another season before he’s voted an all-star.

you guys obviously dont watch the celtics! Pierce has stepped up ever since rondo got injured since then hes been around 20- 7- 7, Even I thought he was getting too old after watching him struggle to start but with the ball in his hands more often hes playing great

Please, that was like a week and a half of good performance out of Pierce, where was he the weeks before? If 2wks of good play makes you an Allstar then that’s why this system is so flawed. The Allstar is suppose to be the best players so far from the entire season, not the last 2wks.

The dude who started this article is not very smart. Yes Williams should be an All Star. Even though his team is 8-19 what does that matter? Look at his surrounding help… If Williams didnt put up those numbers they wouldnt even be in contention for a win. With him running the helm they are. Think about this… No Marshon Brooks… Brook Lopez has been injured the entire season so to have an 8-19 record with the C Squad isnt that bad… Williams deserves to be an all star he puts up numbers and he is the reason why the nets have SOME wins… HIM and FARMAR thats about it… ONCE WE GET HOWARD ITS OVER!!!! LEGGOOOO NJJJJJ!!!

Sekou….you are not completely right. Because choosing the all-star reserves can be done from different angles….Tim Duncan only plays 25 minutes a game and still puts up the same numbers that guys do who were selected. And they play more minutes than Tim Duncan. So does Tim Duncan deserve to be an all-star?? Just because Tim Duncan was once ubelievable and now he is not that Timmy anymore, doesn’t mean he does not deserve to be an all-star. I mean, if you just look at the numbers in relation to minutes played, he deserves to be an All-Star.. And he is from a winning team…..

Dirk, Steve Nash, and Paul Pierce do not deserve to be allstars. Dirk even said himself that he doesn’t deserve to play in the All-Star game this year. I’m sick of these NBA coaches handing out Lifetime Achievement Awards to these old veteran players who don’t deserve to go. Rudy Gay should be in there instead of Dirk. And Josh Smith should be in there for the East instead of Paul Pierce. These coaches always snub someone just to let a veteran who has no business in there go to the all-star game. SMH…if I was Rudy Gay or Josh Smith I would certainly take it personal and use it as fuel to make these coaches respect your game so you can get there next year.

I am glad that LaMarcus Alridge finally got some love and was voted on cause he was snubbed last year.

Yeah I’m glad for Aldridge as well (favorite PF in the West) but I have to disagree with this whole veteran favoritism thing you’re talking about. Yes Rudy Gay is an amazing player, as is Rondo, Danny Granger, Ray Allen, Paul Millsap, Al Jefferson, Monta Ellis, Kevin Martin and plenty of other NBA players. But don’t underestimate the vets. Pierce, Nowitzki, and Nash are the captains of their teams, and excellent players in both basketball IQ and making their teammates better. How does Carmelo Anthony make his teammates better? He doesn’t. He’s an amazing offensive force and that’s it. Pierce, Nowitzki and Nash are facilitators, captains, scorers, defenders and leaders. Players like that have more right to be in the All Star Game than flashy, high-scorers or athletic dunkers who don’t really improve their teammates or put their team in a position to be champions.

This year was a sham the moment Carmelo made the team. Now way does a volume shooter on a middle of the row club deserve to be on the team. Especially one with major holes in his game and who does not elevate those around him much. New York and a big name should not be an auto bid.

steve nash definitely deserves to be there. hes putting up amazing numbers. so is ellis but there are games where hes simply off the grid when it comes to production. if nash isnt scoring. hes helping his other teamaates score.and marc definitely deserves the all star nod over brother pau. as for the east. josh smith got completely robbed. he may be averaging less points than granger, but hes shooting a beteer percentage and his team is winning. the pacers would still be putting up wins without granger. but since horford got hurt. smith has really stepped up his game and has become a very important piece to whats going on down in atlana. JOSH SMITH over DANNY GRANGER. big mistake by the coaches.

nash is an all star as a tribute to one of the gret point guards of the game. for all he has done in his career and in what may be one of his last good seasons he is rewarded by it. ellis time in the all star line up will come thats for sure. dirk still has some good 3 maybe 4 years left in the tank so he should have been left out of the reserves this year. as for deron williams well thats a huge surprise…. rondo or smith should have been in the reserves not him…. he is a good player but the nets are just awfull…. congrats to luol deng one of the most underrated smal forwards in the league. if my bulls are going to win a championship this year he is goingo to be one of the main reasons for that.

I hate when people complain about certain players not getting the nod for the all star game, if you’re pissed about it, take it to the coach’s facebook or twitter, because THEY picked these reserves, NOT the fans

I agree that Dirk shouldn’t make it but Pierce? W/Rondo being injured(Celtics new best player), Pierce has stepped up and kept them in playoff contention. I 100% agree that I would rather see J-Smooth in the all-star game over D-Will and even my CHicago bulls guy, Luol Deng. D-Will(even w/leading league in TO’s) has helped turn the Nets trom being the bottom 3 teams in the East and this is w/out their second best player, Brooke Lopez. Also w/out D-will, there will be only 1 PG in the East playing in the All-Star game(Derrick Rose). But no doubt, Josh Smith deserves to go over him….The biggest All-Star snub on the West is Kyle Lowry. He’s avg about 15ppg, 8ast, 6reb on a playoff team. He should’ve gone over Nash,Parker and Marc Gasol. Ellis’ scoring is down and his team never contends for the playoffs. Im sorry, he’s the teams best player and has to take some blame. He should’ve however, made it atleast once in his previous years where his scoring numbers were up. Rudy Gay can’t make it unless he replaces Gasol. There’s no way u can send 2 guys from a team that isnt even in a playoff spot right now. Because if they were true All-Stars, Memphis wud be in the playoffs.

Did I just here Pau ?? Pau Gasol ? ….. are you stupid ?…… obviously you do not know what your talking about, I mean have you seen Pau Gasol performance its ridiculous, the man can not maintain consistency, and for you to say he is better than Bynum and Kobe, COME ON MAN. Hell no. you should be banned from talking basketball.

@Kevin Quirk-Not sure if you are responding to my post, but my point about Ellis is he simply does not have the pedigree yet to make the team in the eyes of the coaches. Whether or not he is playing well is not in question at all. This is certainly not the first year of a double standard for the All Star game. Allen Iverson made the team a few years ago and he had suited up for two games all season.

Personally I don’t even understand how one get’s the title of All-Star based on such a limited amount of play. I would feel the honor is much more deserved if it was awarded at the end of the year. Let’s say Dirk finishes the remainder of the year averaging 25 points and the Mavs make a strong defense of their championship in the playoffs. Do you really believe that Dirk is not an All Star based on one little snapshot of time in the season the All-Star game represents? If Monta Ellis can sustain his play all year long at his current level than he is an All-Star for the 2012 season. Aruging over a double standard based on 5 weeks of play is actually not the real issue in my book.

Honestly, anyone who believes they deserve to be an all-star after just 5 weeks of basketball is kiddng themselves anyway. If being an All-Star only takes 5 weeks of play, then Jeremy Lin deserves to be a MVP candidate after 3 games of play.

Being an All-Star is like a recipe. it takes many ingredients like reputation, consistency, career stats, team record, and current year performance an then yields an index. Each piece of that index has weight. Dirk and Paul still have high weight on reputation, consistency, career stats, and team record. Certainly they score a bit lower on current season stats during an abbreviated season, but a player like Monta Ellis only has 5 weeks of elevated year stats in that mix while the other weighted elements remain average to below average. Each year only one or two spots are available for new players that are currently showing stats worthy of an all star.

The best part about this is both Boston and Dallas may get the last laught because both are starting to show signs of being contenders behind strong play from their veteran All-Star players.

Its true players make it to the all start through reputation and it shouldn’t be that way. Players like Gay, Lowry, Ellis, Smith have played better seasons then many of the reserves. While it makes sense that year-to-year consistency can build such a powerful reputation, and they are rewarded for their consistency, many players got snubbed simply because of the lack of year-to-year consistency. Fact is all-star bids should be founded upon what they are accomplishing during the current year, and not what has been done historically. Congrats to all the players though you guys are great.

This article speaks the truth and touches on the double standards the NBA has from it’s officiating down to the All-Star selection.

Josh Smith should be an All-Star this year as well as Monta Ellis. These are two players who over the last 3 to 4 seasons have put up incredible numbers. It was said, it’s not just one season, they must show this over several. I think they have.

Strong consideration should be made for Kyle Lowry and James Harden as well.

The NBA’s embrace of tradition and legacy undermines and deteriorates its integrity. Perhaps reserves should be chosen by coaches, active players and retired former All-stars. Something has to change. Fans want to know about these other great players in lesser markets. It’s good for the NBA and it’s good for basketball.

I think Pierce deserves to go, he made the Celtics play back in winning form with Rondo, Ray, and notable bench players out on injury. Plus his stats are all star numbers, (he is averaging 18.4 ppg, 5.8 rpg, and 5.7 apg) which makes him as much as an all around player as Lebron or Iggy.

Yeah Ellis got robbed, but Lowry is also putting up absurd numbers on a team no one’s talking about and received no mention. Along with Josh those are my biggest snubs. However Dirk, Pierce, and Melo making the team is pretty frustrating. Then again who cares though, all star weekend has been HORRIBLE these past few years. As for Blake starting over Love, I mean who didn’t see that coming. If the coaches voted for the starters then maybe Love had a shot, but Blake is arguably the most entertaining player to watch in the league, no way he’s sitting.

have you stopped to think why Dirk’s numbers are down? really??? let’s see, late start of season, no practice like every year before season, knee problems that Carlisle MADE him take time off for, get him better and in shape for playoffs. no offense but Blake Griffins dunks get old, if I wanted to see reruns of the same dunks, I would have recorded them, “yaaawnnnn, makes me sleepy to watch him “show off”. we are playing basketball not at a dunkfest

I bet you if u asked any of the all stars they’d rather have Nash dishing alley oops to them than Ellis simply just being there. There are enough scorers, if anything Nash will make the game entertaining dishing dimes here and there for the other stars

Starters and Reserves should be elected by the NBA players mainly (with the “cant vote for your own teamates” thing)
It’s always the same thing.. the most covered one’s (by the media) get the starting job, and coaches always giving some “carreer rewards” to some guys..

Still dont understand why the NBA do not change its name to NBE (E for Entertainment), cuz everything is made to go that way: that, the huge-mega travellings allowed when players drive to the basket, etc..

the fans make better choices than the coaches in the all stars! the format should be, fans choose the starters, coaches choose the second 5, and media chooses the 11th and 12th…the snubs of josh smith and monta ellis sux… they deserve to be all stars for years now…

are u high fans are the reason snubs happen each year, remember last year where yao made it even though he barely even stepped on to the court. This year if the fans didnt vote for carmelo anthony, Jsmith would be on the team right now. If it were up to the fans amare would be playing in the all star game right now too. With fans its a popularity contest and sometimes with coaches its a lifetime achievement award. Id rather have coaches vote for the whole all star roster than fans voting at all

Its absurd that Luol deng got a nod of Jsmoove, after all these years of ppl hatin on josh for his J, he isnt even shooting it this yr. whats more, how does hibbert make it, even if horford is inj and there are no centres in the east. put bosh in at C, and get someone like smoove or granger in there. smh. coaches gotta stop hatin on josh when hes tearin them apart in the east every night.

Good to hear that Hibbert made it (indy fan :p). But I just don’t like Carmelo being an all-star.. hes like the overated version of Monta Ellis..and his career path is turning like Stephon Marbury. they need to accept facts that he is not a rival ( magic/bird) to Lebron anymore..the way his career is moving. and i wish they’ll put a system where a better team needs a representative in an allstar..i just feel sad to see Houston and Denver having a better standing and not having an all star player..but maybe the availability of the position plays a big role as well..and last.. Congrats to LaMarcus Aldridge for i thought he deserve more than Duncan from last year all star ..so All Star Game here we gooo….

Kyle Lowry isn’t doing better than Nash or Tony Parker
Monta’s not a good defender, and he’s scoring on a struggling Warriors team
Millsap and Jefferson aren’t ready for the all star team
Galinari sure as HELL isn’t ready, and same argument of Lowry for Lawson(not better than Parker or Nash)

are we joking? come on i mean this players are better than last year but…gallinari?cousins?wall?
i think they took the wrong gasol anda aldridge&nowitzki aren’t doing a good season let’s be onest,i’m happy for nash and igoudala but there are much more better player that sould go to orlando(gallinari,gay,wall…

Dude LeMarcus Aldridge is having a serious year. Best PF in the west. Blake is all dunks and weird fall away 12 footer… LeMarcus is defense, blocks, post play, 18 foot jumpers, dunks, and everything else in between. In my perfect world, HE would have been the starter and Griffin the reserve!

But as we all know the All Star game is just a giant popularity contest. Even though the coaches vote the players in, they are also biased towards the players they wish they could coach.

LaMarcus Aldridge? FYI, LaMarcus is averaging 23pts, 8.4rebs and is 5th in the league in scoring. Kevin Love is directly above him, but they are both above Blake “Watch-Me-Dunk” Griffin, who started above both of them. Aldridge is having a great season and he completely deserves to go to Orlando. Go Rip City!

why calls chuck the all-star nomination of steve nash a lifetime achievement award? I admit the phoenix suns have no winning record, but without nash they would be at the bottom of the standings right there with new orleans.. he plays terrific..15ppg, 10 apg while shooting 57% (!!).
Imo that’s way more allstar-like than Danny Granger (I know they don’t play in the same conference, but chuck made the comparison) 18 ppg, 5 rpg.. 37.5% .. I don’t think he is the reason why the pacers are that good at the moment. it’s more because of improved play of collison, hibbert, george and the addition of west and hill..

I have to disagree about Pierce… after struggling through an injury and no boot camp or practices for the beginning of the season, he has come back to life, pulling Boston out of the gutter and putting up some impressive numbers. That’s the definition of spirit, which should be rewarded by an All-Star selection. I’m more surprised by Roy Hibbert and Marc Gasol getting the nod. Where is Rudy Gay or Al Jefferson? Monta Ellis definitely should have gotten in there instead of Nash, too. A lot of fantastic players were left out yet again. But that’s just how it goes every year. There’s always going to be people, myself included, who are disappointed with some selections.

In my view,the standard of an all-star game should be:the best players are choosen.Because it´s a game where the amazing should happen.Nobody can question Steve Nash being choosen.The guy´s is playing terrific basketball,no guard in the league is better than him nowadays when it comes to distribuiting the ball and making his team better (and that´s the pg´s main function).So what Phoenix is below 50%,is not like they have the Wizards record,and the wins they have,they owe it to Nash.But,i believe that aside from Nash,there are stupid choices,the most outrageous is Nowitzki, doing a poor season for the Mavs (i dont think Williams is a bad choice he´s doing a very good season with the Nets).Pierce is another bad choice,but acting like Josh Smith is a no-brainer is just absurd.The guy´s a good player,nothing more.

In my opinion Josh Smith not being named one of the Eastern All-Stars is a huge snub (maybe even a slap in the face). However, I do not put the blame for his absence on the coaches who voted for the subs. I have no real problems with who the coaches voted in. Yeah there can be arguments made (strong and compelling arguments I might add) that Paul Pierce should have been left off of this year’s squad.

But Pierce’s inclusion on the team is not a problem. They guy, who in my opinion, that is on the team that has no business being on the team is Carmelo Anthony. And it was the fans, not the coaches who voted Carmelo to the squad.

Honestly, when the fans gave Carmelo the starting position I was pretty sure that Josh Smith would likely be the odd man out for the Eastern All-Stars. It is a shame and may even unfair. But such is life.

Who knows, sometime between now and the actual All-Star Game a replacement player may be needed for the Eastern squad (Anthony currently has an injured groin and is expected to be out for at least the next 7-10 days), and if that turns out to be the case maybe Josh Smith will get his first All-Star berth after all.

SMH Bs all the way J Smooth and Rondo supposed to be all-stars. I also think they are snubbing Monte Ellis for sure. D.Will gets the nod instead of Josh is a slap in the face. J Smooth continue to play your game and be yourself. I don’t care if he’s a hot head he has proven himself last season and this season so far that he’s a Allstar. Good article Sekou, do you think that the coaches look at the votes to pick reserves? I don’t think they do cause Rondo would’ve been in for sure. What a disgrace and I’m suprised they didn’t snub Lamarcus again like they did Monte. J Smooth your a allstar in my book!!!!!

Johnson deserves his Spot! he plays great since Horford is out. Smith should replace Pierce. And sorry, but Bosh deserves it too, Carmelo is the one who hould be out!!!! He´s playing One on Five and the Knicks play better without him

Again: Dirk in this list is one of the most incredible things i’ve ever seen… In the Eastern Conference, Josh Smith was unacceptably robbed. I think he deserves a lot more than Deron Williams or (shaking-my-damn-head) Carmelo Anthony. It’s a shame :(

Ellis was snubbed too, but he was playing better last year, when he also got nothing in return.

On the other hand, Steve Nash completely deserved his All-Star nod, in my opinion. His numbers are, as Sekou has said, simply outlandish.

Dirk and Pierce don´t deserve to be an all star…even that they knew by themselves…Ellis and Gay should be there…but this years all star is a big snob..even Pau who plays better than Kobe and Bynum is out..lets just says that fans are the biggest fake of us all…

Kobe is on the decline…he is still considered “good” because he shoots more than anyone on the team. He still has the game, but its fading fast. He’s not even the best player on the Lakers this year, Bynum is. He the kid stays healthy, he will earn the title as the best big man in the league. Pau is soft as tissue, he is, at best, the perfect complimentary player. He cant post up 3x in a row, cant even average 10 borads a game…and is barely shooting 50% from the field. How many dunks do he get a game, anyone know? Oh, and he’s 7’1″. But he has a soft shooting touch..lol. Man up and elbow somebody..lol…Kobe is still the black mamba, but that venom isnt as strong no more. If Bynum stays humble, healthy, and consistant, Kobe will be expendable.

You gotta be kidding! Dirk deserves to be an All-Star!!!!! The best Player of last season not in this years All-Star-Game? This season is a joke! It was 10 games old when you were able to vote and he was struggling with an injury. I´m 100% sure that at the end of the season you will all agree.

No Shawn.
All-Stars are NOT selected by what they did the past season.
NOT about what they are going to be after the COACHES vote.
But instead, what they accomplished DURING the CURRENT season.
There are a lot more guys deserving out there who weren’t chosen
JUST because they weren’t popular!

as much as i love myself i am not better than kobe and bynum. i have been playing rough all-season long. i show up in spurts but has not been consistent enough. i don’t know why you hate my team mates you must be watching the clippers instead of the lakers to say i play better than kobe and drew.

It’s just the All-star game anyway what’s the big deal on who is in it or not. Magic never played the entire season after retiring but still made All-star MVP that year. It didn’t matter the stats before, why should it matter now? It’s the people voting here, why question the democracy given to the fans. If the entire team is put on the All-star team, so be it. Those are people’s votes.

Dirk and Pierce are at least on winning teams. The point I think Sekou is trying to make is that putting up numbers on a winning team should not warrant a spot on the reserves ahead of someone making a major contribution to a winning team i.e. why is Nash and Williams on the team and not Gay and Smith…..

Dirk does deserve to be an all-star, just not a starter. He is only scoring 1 point below Rudy Gay and his average is higher than Pau’s, even with the knee injury. The problem is he isn’t putting up the numbers that he did last year, when he really should have been a starter. But if you are not in one of the big markets, that ain’t going to happen. Bynum is averaging 17.1 pts a game – that isn’t starter numbers.

They should change the voting so that only ONE player from each team can be a starter. It’s not about who is the best, it’s about who is the most popular.

dirk does not even come close to deserving of an all star nod, he is averaging 17 points while missing about a third of the games so far this year? that’s embarrasing, that’s like giving the nod to manu for all star who’s also averaging 17 ppg but has only played in like 7 games. As for Bynum, you have to hold centers to a different standard, bynum is putting up RIDICULOUS numbers, 17 ppg, 12 rebounds per game, 2 blocks ber per game. Easily 2nd best center in the league. So I have no idea where you get this “bynum isn’t good enough to start”. Rudy gay absolutely deserves to be in over dirk. I also like Marc gasol over pau, the younger gasol has a slightly a tick worse ppg than pau but everything else he is doing better, especially on D. And before you say “but dallas needs an all-star”, look at houston, look at denver, both same records and no all-star? explain that.

Wow.
Bynum NOT a starter? He’s the only good center in the west!
Dirk deserving to be a reserve? If anything, he should be a starter since he’s popular to fans for winning a title last season
NOT deserving to be voted by coaches though! They only chose him cuz he won LAST season, not his current game.

Any why should we reward players for losing? Popularity is based on fans, which are the consisted MOSTLY of idiots.
Why shouldnt we reward those who are working their butts off to win? Those who arent selfish and care 4 wins not stats?

Yah, those who say Dirk doesn’t deserve it, I’d guess they are not watching him play. I’m no Dallas fan, but I’ve seen a few of their recent games and whatever Dirk may have been doing in the early season, right now he is lighting it up and looking as good as he did in the playoffs. I think the vitriol about his selection is unfounded.

I’m not sure how I feel about players from losing teams, but I wouldn’t see Ellis is a snub, considering the Warriors seem to get a better +/- with their bench guards on, and Ellis keeps getting them behind. He is such a poor defensive player. He isn’t helping his team win – at least Nash and Deron are the ones responsible for their teams wins. I think Ellis is exactly the guy coaches had in mind when they used to say you can’t reward someone from a losing team.

I don’t think the West has snubs, just too many deserving candidates. But I do feel sorry for Lowry and Millsap in particular. On the other hand, and no offence to Hibbert who I think is great, but I think that the East should have moved Bosh in to centre on the reserves to find room for Josh Smith.

Dirk does not deserve to be a reserve, probably a starter based on popularity but hes posting his lowest PPG since 2000, it doesnt matter whether he won last year or not, the coaches should be voting on how they play and how they play THIS season. Bynum should be starting centre, because apart from him there arent any decent centres in west and lastly there is NO WAY deron should be an all star, it doesnt matter whether you’re posting high ppg his team is in the gutters.

Most fans ARE the biggest fake of us all, they’re the one who voted the starters.. Carmelo? Griffin? Come on…. Carmelo can’t even lead his team right now, but he’s an Allstar??? Griffin a starter before Love??? Love is a better fundamental player than Griffin, better stats, and having a better season so far. The only reason Griffin is a starter is because the fans think that posterizing equals Allstar starter. And I agree, Deron Williams, Dirk, and Pierce should not have made the reserve roster. No doubt these players are great players, but looking at just this season alone, neither of these players has had an Allstar season. Again, this just proves that the Allstar is about who’s most popular, reputation, flash, and highlights.

Its the Allstar Game, no cares about basic fundamental skills, fans pay to see alley oops, dunks, etc, and Blake pretty much tops the whole league in that category, and the All Star Game is all flashy highlight worthy plays, its to have fun while competing, players use basic fundamental skills during games throughout the season, might as well relax during the Allstar break.

Nate is 100% right. Love should be starting over Griffin and Carmelo shouldnt be going this season. And no Gay or Smith? No Ellis? What has Dirk, Pierce, Parker, Nash, and Williams done to deserve it? Nash leads in a category but still isn’t deserving as Ellis.

even Pau who plays better than Kobe and Bynum? Dude, are you actually serious? Any point you may have had to make after that has become completely invalid.. I agree the selections were based on the wrong criteria for many and i dont usually write here, but this coment is just plan ridiculous

Thats Bull Bro’
Its not the fans who voted for the allstar-reserves. You should inform yourself first before raving about the selection.
Nevertheless I agree, that Dirk and Pierce should not be Allstar reserves. Moreover I would question steve nash, even though he is shooting extremely well. I recon allstars should come from winning teams, which is why I also would not have voted for williams. Plus I think deng and iggy should not have been named allstars. Deng is not that good a player and iggy is not racking up those stats expected by allstars.

Monta, Smith, lowry and gay got robbed!

Only one thing that I am really happy about: I hate Pau Gasol for what he did at the world championships against Germany and thats why I love the selection of his brother over him^^

Man PRIX! JUST RETIRE FROM COMMENTING HERE!! you are making yourself look like a fool!! “Pau better than Kobe and Bynum” LMAO! I would pick Dirk over any power forward ( besides Durant) in the west anytime personally. He has proven to still be an elite player! Smith definitely deserves an answer…Carmelo should definitely be watching it from home! But i guess its seniority rules… thats the NBA!!

Ähhhh you know that Pierce plays for the East don´t you??? So you should say Smith and Gay should be there instead of Pierce and Nowitzki!
And Pau playing better than Kobe??? What games have you been watching this season? I´m not a crazy Kobe Fan, but he plays great!!! And so does Bynum. The Lakers had their reason why they wanted to trade Pau for Cris Paul! (And still want to trade him and they will to get a Player like Howard)

Yeah Pierce doesn’t deserve to be there..because 20 PPG, 7 APG and 7 RPG over the last 10 games are just nowhere near all-star numbers right? Plus it’s not like Boston won 9 of that last 10 or anything…

Bosh deserves to be a starter over melo, the only thing melo did was bring his team down, hes out for four games = four straight wins, trade melo for solid role players. With lin running point, amare at pf, and chandler at center and a solid bench, thats a force to be reckoned with.

It’s just the All-star game anyway what’s the big deal on who is in it or not. Magic never played the entire season after retiring but still made All-star MVP that year. It didn’t matter the stats before, why should it matter now? It’s the people voting here, why question the democracy given to the fans. If the entire team is put on the All-star team, so be it. Those are people’s votes.